DOMESTIC WORKERS' BILL OF RIGHTS UNANIMOUSLY CLEARS SENATE

Housekeepers, nannies, caretakers, cooks and other domestic workers will be guaranteed meal breaks, days off and maternity leave under legislation passed unanimously by the Senate Thursday. The legislation (S 2131) establishes a domestic workers' bill of rights. Sen. Gale Candaras (D-Wilbraham) said household workers are often an unseen and isolated group of workers that lack protections afforded to other workers. "These folks are simply not protected," Candaras said before the Senate passed the bill 39 to 0. The House included similar provisions in a bill that passed that branch addressing the minimum wage and unemployment insurance reforms, but Senate President Therese Murray said advocates preferred that the issues be separated. Domestic workers say they are looking for dignity and respect in the workplace. A group of people watching the debate from the Senate gallery broke into cheers when it passed. Babysitters and personal care attendants are not captured under the legislation. The bill establishes clear rules for sleeping, meal and rest periods, including a requirement for a 24-hour rest period each week and a 48-hour rest period each month for domestic workers who work 40 hours a week or more. "We are thrilled that our bill has moved one step closer to becoming law. Domestic workers can now come out of the shadows and create a more safe and secure workforce," Lydia Edwards, from the Massachusetts Coalition for Domestic Workers, said in a statement. Privacy protections for domestic workers were also included in the bill in an attempt to prevent employers from interfering with a worker's personal communication and property. It also includes housing protections in the event a worker is terminated without cause. Similar laws have passed in California, Hawaii, and New York. - C. Quinn/SHNS